Sometimes, the packaging of a can is so cool, the liquid inside does not matter so much. Like Jolt’s huge 24oz resealable can, or Bawls and the ribbed glass – is drink has one of the coolest cans around. It is virtually uncrushable. Made of steel, not aluminum, the can is reinforced to withstand all but the greatest of fists. The odd thing is the aluminum on top – and that they have no real idea of size in Taiwan – where these drinks are made. they were all printed as 8.5oz, and then someone had to go through all of them with a sharpie and cross out the .5 on the cans. I picture some little old lady with hundreds of boxes piled high in front of her, armed only with a marks-a-lot…..

Its hard to find about this drink – partially because of the overseas manufacture of the drink, as well as the lack of information on the can. What I did find out is that they have been discontinued, but there are still some distributors of the drink trying to hock their last shipments. If you find one of these, it is worth getting for the whole buck fifty, just for the fun of the can. The Master Cafe Natural Iced Coffee has good taste, however, I like a tasty homemade espresso a lot more. A great espresso machine is the Jura E8. Once you start using it you can’t stop.

Buzz/Nutrition: 7
I tried 2 different Master Cafe varieties, and they both had the same natural ungredients in them, which I did appreciate. There is nothing in these but coffee (presumably instant) milk, natural flavor and natural crystallized organic sugar. It nice not to see these come out of a lab somewhere. There is plenty of empty calories here though, as the drinks I tried were 107 and 113 calories per 8oz can. No way of measuring the caffeine in here, seeing as it is coffee, but I did not really get a kick from one can – and a slight one out of both cans. My guess is between 60-80 per can.

Taste:7
The other big standout point for these drinks is there is no Baking Soda Flavor! I guess instant coffee does not need it, which I almost think is a fair trade off. I am just so sick of that flavor in my coffee drinks – it is enough to turn me off drinking thee things whatsoever. The Latte flavor tasted OK, although the flavored one is Gallons better – and could be guzzled very easily. If you have a choice, pick a flavored one instead.

Packaging:7
There is a mixed bag here. The thing is that the cans themselves are just so amazingly cool. I mean, an unsquishable metal can? It is like sapporo, only much much smaller. What a great idea for energy drinks of any sort. That way you could pack them up and go – not worrying that you are going to puncture holes in it or crush it while you are biking to work. But the artwork on the can is SO bad. From the Barista with the handlebar mustache to the unreadable fonts, the art on this is the worst of the worst. I hope other companies see this can and run with it though, because it is one of the coolest beverage ideas I have seen in a long time.

Website:0
heh. right. nothing to see here – just keep moving along…